Au Cochonnet Marin

I consider myself to be a polite, thoughtful person. I always try to say hello, please, thank you.
I get a little annoyed pissed off (let’s be frank) when I don’t get the same treatment in return.

Hello, how can we help you?
This is the absolute minimal greeting one should expect from a shopkeeper.
Failing to do so is disrespectful, even offensive.

My shopping code of conduct is very basic:
If I don’t get acknowledged the minute I walk into a store/restaurant, I walk out.
They need me much more than I need them.

And I just did this no later than yesterday.
I entered a jewelry store to have a watch repaired. I stood there for five solid minutes without anybody bothering to greet me or asking me what the purpose of my visit was.
I left, as anybody should.

Business etiquette dictates that upon noticing a customer, the merchant immediately greets him/her, and by doing so show appreciation for his/her patronage.

American merchants are much too cavalier. They lack the finesse, the reverence that Japanese businessmen display with their customers.

Upon meeting you, a Japanese businessman will first bow (a sign of respect) and to tell you the truth, I wouldn’t mind seeing this custom implemented in the US.
After all, the customer is king (for a short while, but still).

I recently bought a new car (for a fair amount of shekels) and I was not the least impressed by the salespeople’s manners.

In Japan, they would probably have had geishas plying me with sushi and sake while rubbing my back with scented oils.
Here, they simply said, “how are you going to pay?”
No bowing.
How do you say poopoo in Japanese?

Thinking of it, since I bought a Japanese car I should have flown to Japan to purchase the car, just for the treatment.

The most common greetings in Japan are ohayō gozaimasu (good morning), or konnichiwa (good day). – I got this from my old friend Jack who lived in Japan for several years.
And all employees are trained to greet customers using the correct business etiquette.

I am convinced that most Americans would be more willing to loosen up their purse strings if greeted in such a manner by American storekeepers.
What do you say America?

So if somebody treats you disrespectfully, what are your options?
Don’t hesitate. Walk out and never look back.It feels good.

Alain

“Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;
I have not come here to bury the man, but to praise him.”

I usually use this forum to vent, to verbalize what’s bothering me, but today I will not berate but applaud.

On this page, I would like to pay a timely homage to one of the nicest and hardest working member of our club.
His name is Charlie. I don’t have to say more. Everybody knows who he is.

Charlie is a humble fellow. Unlike some blowhards, he will never toot his own horn and that’s why I will blow my own on his behalf.

Charlie is the type of guy who, upon noticing that something needs fixing, will mend it… quietly. He doesn’t wait for anybody to mention the problem. He just rolls up his sleeves and goes to work.
He has been part of almost every renovation project that the club has sponsored.

Charlie is not a youngster anymore, but “aux âmes bien nées, la valeur (n’attend point) ne tient pas compte du nombre des années. »

I really didn’t have to quote paraphrase Corneille and Shakespeare to buttress my case, but it seems to be the fitting thing to do.

Charlie is a multi-talented fellow. Besides his many aptitudes, he is also ambidextrous (something I am jealous of).
During a pétanque game, if the right hand doesn’t seem to perform properly he can switch to playing with his left hand to get better results.
It is an unfair advantage, but by golly, if you have got it, flaunt it!

Charlie is also a good-humored fellow who can appreciate a good (or bad) joke such as this one:

A thief in Paris planned to steal some paintings from the Louvre.
After carefully consideration, he got past security, stole the paintings and made it safely to his van.
However, he was captured only two blocks away when his van ran out of gas. When asked how he could mastermind such a crime and then make such an obvious error, he replied:
“Monsieur, that’s the reason I stole the paintings. I had no Monet to buy Degas to make the Van Gogh.”
Corny? Of course, but life is short. Enjoy it every chance you get.

Thank you for everything you did for the club Charlie. We appreciate it!
Ò (quiò) merci hero!

Alain

“It is inexcusable for scientists to torture animals; let them make their experiments on journalists and politicians.”
Henrik Ibsen

Yeah! I am all for it But I would not go as far as Henrik.
Let’s experiment with the politicians but spare (some) journalists (for the time being).

Let’s first start by making a distinction between a politician and a politico.

 

A politician “is a person who is professionally involved in politics, especially as a holder of or a candidate for an elected office.”

 

A politico (derogative term) is “a person who uses public office to advance personal or partisan interests.”

Both species are slightly different, but they generally look well fed, well dressed and instinctively know which side of their bread is buttered.

I started to pay closer attention to these “gentlemen” (chivalrous, courteous, honorable men) after watching two television series: one American (originally British) the other one French.

The American series is called House of cards and is set in present-day Washington, D.C.
The French series, Les hommes de l’ombre (the shadow men) is set in present-day Paris.

Both series have different storylines but basically deal with the ruthlessness and the unscrupulousness of elected officials.
In both series, they will do anything (including murder) to win an election.

Most western nations are democracies. “A system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, through elected representatives.”
Fine and dandy. But I have a bone to pick with democracy.
It is basically a good but flawed idea.

Generally speaking we know too little about the people running for office to make a good choice.
Every candidate should be thoroughly scrutinized (lie detector) and his or her record should be made widely available to the public prior an election, warts and all.
For many politicians have secret lives and the shadowy war before an election is mainly about finding out and exploiting the opponent’s Achilles heel.
Is he/she a secret bigot, a closet homosexual, a pedophile, a wife-beater?
Bestiality maybe… Really?
Praise the Lord we got him!

As George Bernard Shaw put it “If you can’t get rid of the skeleton in your closet, you’d best teach it to dance.”

Many politicians are merely gunslingers (obstructionists) paid to derail or undermine a project.

By the way, (in case you didn’t know) professional writers pen all the candidates’ speeches and all their moves are controlled by “consultants”.
So where is the “genuine article” under that charade?
Unfortunately we only find out after these guys have been inducted.
Too late! We will have to bear with this guy for another four or five years, or forever (in the case of Tsar Putin the Small).

In conclusion:
“The majority of the members of the Irish parliament (or American Congress) are professional politicians, in the sense that otherwise they would not be given jobs minding mice at crossroads.”
Flann O’Brien

I didn’t say that. Flann did, but I am inclined to agree.

Vote for me! I love you!

Alain